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This deluxe hardcover edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy contains a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien’s own drawings and full-color illustrations, including the rare “Mirkwood” piece.

J.R.R. Tolkien's own description for the original edition: "If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) -- if you do not already know all about these things -- much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period. For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise."

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About the Author

J.R.R. TOLKIEN (1892–1973) is the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN is the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by Tolkien to be his literary executor, he has devoted himself to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth.

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Having only an old 1994 worn paperback edition of the Lord of the Rings, I wanted to purchase a version that I could read and display for many years to come. I did a ton of research and decided upon this version (ISBN 116-1749849-2513827), illustrated by Alan Lee and published by Harper Collins in June 2014 (I am adding these details because the Amazon.com site does not make it clear what this version is). Please note that this particular printing is NOT available in the US but any Tolkien or LotR devotee should not be deterred (Frodo wouldn't have been!). I must say that this is the finest published one-volume version of the LotR that I have ever laid eyes upon, and is well worth every penny. It includes approximately 50 high-quality color illustrations by Alan Lee, which even for a 30-something like me makes the reading experience exceptional. The front and back covers are made of durable, high-quality cloth (as shown), with a strong and handsome turquoise binding. The pages -- not just the illustrations but the entire book -- are glossy and made of "whiter" paper than you generally find, the margins large, and the typeset easy on the eyes.

For those who care about such things, the printing is based on the 2004 corrected text, with even further corrections. There are updated introductions/forwards by Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull, authors of the authoritative "LOTR Readers Companion," as well as by Douglas A. Anderson, who provides a detailed publication history of the Lord of the Rings. The full appendices are included.

Two-page red and black maps of Middle Earth and of Gondor/Rohan/Mordor adorn the front and back covers, with a map of the Shire before the first chapter. Also present are other essentials such as the Doors of Moria and the Tomb of Balin. The only drawback is that the facsimile pages of the Book of Mazarbul was not included, which I found to be surprising and a bit disappointing Also, the ring inscription and the Gandalf "rune" are printed in black rather than silver and red. Probably the main issue is the clear plastic slipcover, which is barely bigger than the book itself, and it is difficult to slip the book back inside it after taking it out. You are more likely to scuff the corners of the book. That being said, these are far from dealbreakers, and the joy to be received from owning this edition far outweighs these issues.

What can you say about a classic? I'd never read these books all the way through before, and was determined to try, despite remembering what I had read as being tedious and somewhat purple-prose-ish. I apparently remembered wrong - coming back as an adult, these are beautiful books, very well-written and of course true epic fantasy. It may be that my tastes have changed, or just that I've matured, but these will definitely be reread many times.

My only issue is that with the Kindle version, the footnotes seemed to be messed up. Many of them only bring up a page number (with no link), which may be how it was in the original books, but others seem to apply to footnotes further down the page, or just not at all to the thing they're noted from. Frustrating.

If you enjoyed watching the many (many!) hours of "extras" on the LOTR blu-ray box set, you will love this book. Alan Lee gives us not just his artwork, but his perspective on the making of the films. Some of his sketches look just like what was ultimately filmed, but there are also those that never were shown in detail, or at all. Amazing how much thought and design was put into making the films look and feel authentic!

All the artwork is wonderful to look at. Some of the drawings are very light, but a close look reveals so much intricate line work. There are very ethereal images, but also beautiful examples of architecture and engineering, and even mundane objects. Alan Lee mentions at one point that he is still "trying to prove something" to his former professor of technical drawing, who was less than impressed with his school efforts---I think he has succeeded.

The book itself is very nicely made. If you hate dustjackets, you can remove this one and still have a lovely book cover with glossy type and illustration on a matte background. The little golden bookmark-ribbon is a nice touch as well. Inside front and back cover show map drawings---although it's the same both front and back, a minor disappointment. It would have been nice to have this book in a larger size as well.